House of Beauty
by Hannah Banana 1456
Summary: You know that one thing form your childhood that brings up that un-mistakable sense of nostalgia? After years, Nina has the chance to relive her glory years... Side by side with Amber
1. Chapter 1

**Hi!. When this idea hit me, I knew I just had to write it down so here goes;(Oh yeah, I don't own anything)**

Nina's Pov

You know that one thing that you try to from childhood although, you still miss it? Either it's childhood acting, or dance, karate, soccer etc… That state of nostalgia where you see your old uniform or winning ball? Usually I'm pretty good at hiding my dirty little secret. Although, when the doorbell rang that cold October morning, all of that hiding I'd been building up, was completely obviated.

Fabian was in Ireland visiting family so I was in the common room reading a book minding my own business, all alone, when the doorbell rang. I got up and answered the door. There was a package sitting on the porch, getting soaked in the rain. I pulled it into the house and closed the door, trying to keep the cold air out. I read the return address… It was from gran!

I dropped the book and started prying the box open. Although, my nails weren't that sharp so I had to drag it into the kitchen to grab scissors. Everybody else was already in the kitchen still eating breakfast and talking so they almost didn't notice me until I gasped once I saw what was inside. Everyone shot around to look at me and they all walked towards me.

"What's in the box?" asked Amber

I closed the box, trying to hide my shame

"It must be something good!" Amber grinned

She ran to me pushed me out of the way and picked the box up. She plopped it on the counter. Everyone crowded around her so I couldn't get any closer.

"Don't laugh!" I piped

She opened the box and gasped, She pulled out the dress. It was a small dress from when I was younger. It was covered in sparkles, Rhine stones and glitter. It was bright pink and small enough to fit a toddler. It was from my days as a mini pageant queen.

"What is that?" asked Patricia "It looks like Amber's closet threw up"

"Hey!" Amber yelled "But really, what is it?" she asked

"I was… I…" I started to choke "I was in pageants"

"No way" Jerome laughed "Wait, did you win at least?"

"I won… a few"

"How many is a few?" asked Mick

"137" I whispered

"What?" Mick asked "I didn't hear you"

"ONE HUDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN!" I yelled

"How does one person win that many?" asked Mara

"I did them every weekend when I was little for years, they're called glitz pageants" I mumbled

"I can't believe this!" Alfie laughed

"I'm going in my room" I mumbled

I started to trudge to my room when Amber yelled;

"WAIT RIGHT THERE!"

I turned around;

"Why?" I asked

"I have something for you!" she ran out of the room

We were all silent for a few minutes until we heard her trample back down the stairs, only to burst into the room, out of breath, clutching a pink flyer.

"What's that?" I asked

"I was going to enter but, now that I know you have a past in pageants I think we should enter together!" she sqeauled

"No, no, no, no, no! I _was _I pageants, I don't think I'd do very well anyway" I smirked

"137?" she asked "Come on, Nina! You have to! Please!" she pleaded "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE-"

"Fine! I'll do it! Just, stop with the nagging!" I rolled my eyes

Everyone else clapped and started to chant 'Miss America' over and over again, _What had I gotten myself into? _

Amber failed to mention that the pageant (Miss Teen Liverpool) was only two weeks away. Not only did I have to get a new dress (which Amber swore she would pay for), but I had to remember what on Earth what to do! My circle turns didn't look the same, my wave didn't look the same, and It didn't seem the same and yet, I still couldn't wait to get back on stage again.

I had already worked out my talent routine. I didn't have enough time to work out a dance routine like I used to do so, I decided to sing one of my favorite songs… Rolling In The Deep. I know it's old and kind of over-played but it's still a great song.

Today Amber is bringing me into town to try on dresses after school and I secretly couldn't wait. I was trying to play it off as if I was dreading ever saying yes but really, I missed pageants. I missed the great way you feel if you win, that moment when you're on stage and you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world but most of all, I missed the days were I considered myself beautiful.

Fabian says that I'm the most beautiful girl in the world but, I don't believe him. Even the other girls say I'm pretty but they're probably just saying that to get me to feel good.

When the final bell rang Amber grabbed my arm while I was picking up my stuff forcing me to drop everything.

"Leave it, we'll get it later" she said as she pulled my by the arm down the hallway. She dragged me down the stairs to the entrence and burst through the door;

"Amber! I can walk by myself!" I laughed

She gave me a stern look and let go;

"Just keep up!" she said

She began walking faster and faster until she was basically running (and I was running after her) towards the house. By the time we got there I was out of breath and didn't feel like even going anywhere but, I knew if I told Amber that, she'd smote me. Once we got there I saw a cab already waiting outside the house. That must have been why Amber was in such a rush! So the cabbie wouldn't think she stood him up ! It made a little more sense now

"You coming?" asked Amber

"Oh… yeah" I smirked, I must have dosed off

I got into the car and Amber scotched in next to me.

"SO, Are you ready?" she smiled

"Ready for what?" I asked

"TO HAVE THE BEST SHOPPING EXPEIRIENCE OF YOUR LIFE!" she sqealed

This was going to be a long afternoon. No, scratch that, this was going to be a long two weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

Amber's Pov

Ugh! Nina takes way to long! She's already practically given up! Sure, all the dresses she's tried on look fine but I'm looking for something that has the 'WOW' factor! You know what I mean?

The red one looks good. The blue one looks fine. The green one was too… green. The purple one… no. This was just too hard! She was TOO pretty! And that's coming from _me. _That's it! I'm letting her pick! You hear that shopping world? I, Amber Millington, the all-fabulous, AM GIVING UP!

"Nina, you are impossible! Just go grab any dress and pay for it, I'm tired" I whined

"Ok, Why don't you call the cab company?" she asked ;

"Alright" I flipped out my cell phone and found the cab company;

I dialed the number and held it up to my ear;

"Liverpool Cab Company, How can I help you?" a man asked on the other end

His voice sounded rough and dry, full of desperation

"Oh… Um… I need a car here like… pronto"

"Where is 'here'?" he asked

"Duh! The mall!"

Sometimes, cabbies can be kind of slow

"Which mall?" he asked

"The Factory Outlet!"

Seriously, he was being kind of annoying;

"I'll be at the front in a few" then he hung up on me!

I turned around to see Nina, holding a long, white dress bag as if it were a bride. _How did she do it? How on EARTH did she find something so quickly?_

"What the hell!" I said "You take five hours in one store but when I give up, you find one in the amount of time it takes to call a cab? Really?" I asked

"Yeah, I was going to tell you I decided on one, but then you went and called a cab" she smiled

"Ok, ok… Let's go, We have to meet the car at the front entrance in a few minutes" I rolled my eyes, smiled, linked arms with her as we walked out of the mall…

_Nina's Pov_

I got back to the house and went up to the bathroom to try on my dress in a different light. I scurried up the stairs and locked the bathroom door behind me. I put the dress on and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. The dress was white with little sparklies at the bust with shimmers of gold at the bottom. It was perfect.

I almost got teary eyed, seeing myself back in a get-up like this. The reason I quit doing pageants was because my Mom, Margret, was the one who would always to my hair and make up. She would be my cheerleader along with my dad, Stephen. My mom died in a car crash along with my father and I refused to get back on stage without her cheering me on.

The only reason I agreed to this one was the fact I would have the rest of my family there, my Anubis family.

That reminded me! Fabian! He had no idea about any of this, he wasn't going to be home until the next day! I had to call him to catch him up!

I took a picture of myself in the dress on my cell phone and sent it to him. After a few minutes of toying with my hair and twirling in the dress a couple times, the phone rang.

I snatched the phone off the counter and said;

"Fabian?"

"Nina! You look gorgeous! Why are you wearing a dress?" he asked

I figured I might have little fun…

"I'm going on a date" I covered the speaking part of my phone and laughed before I held it back to my ear "You still there?" I asked

"Um… You're going on a date? Wwwith who?" he asked

"Oh, Jerome" I couldn't help but laugh at that

"WHAT?" he yelled

"Gotchya! I'm kidding! Amber entered me in Miss Teen Liverpool" I laughed

"Nina Martin, nearly gave me a heart attack!" he laughed on the other line "So you're really in a pageant?" he asked

"Yeah, re-living my glory days" I smiled

"Glory days?" he asked

"I'll tell you when you get home tomorrow" I smiled "got to go, I think Amber's cooking downstairs because I swear I smell smoke!"

"Bye Beautiful, see you then!" he hung up

Then, I ran downstairs to see what on Earth Amber was making down there.


End file.
